Apparatus for marking electric cables and the like



Oct. 25, 1966 D. A. M. WILCOCKS 3,

APPARATUS FOR MARKING ELECTRIC CABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 3, 1963 5Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR DOUGLAS ALBERT MOORE WIL?CKS Oct. 25, 1966 D. A.M. WILCOCKS 3,280,729

APPARATUS FOR MARKING ELECTRIC CABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. s, 1963SSheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR DOUGLAS ALBERT MOORE W COCKS BY A ORNEY Oct.25, 1966 D. A. M. WILCOCKS 3,

APPARATUS FOR MARKING ELECTRIC CABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 5, 1963 5Sheets-Sheet 5 OLJ\*W INVENTOR DOUGLAS ALBERT MOORE COCKS 8Y6) AT ORNEYUnited States Patent f APPARATUS FOR MARKING ELECTRIC CABLES AND THELIKE Douglas A. M. Wilcocks, 10 Lancaster Road, St. Albans, EnglandFiled Aug. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 476,900

Claims priority, application Great Britain, Aug. 4, 1964,

30,431/ 64 7 Claims. (Cl. 101-37) This invention relates to apparatusfor marking electric cables and like articles of continuous length. Forconvenience reference will hereinafter be made simply to cables.

The object of this invention is to provide improved apparatus which isespecially suitable for marking cables for identification put-posesimmediately prior to the use thereof.

According to this invention there is provided an apparatus for markingcables comprising a marking head assembly with means for feeding cableto be marked thereto, such assembly comprising a plurality of inkingwheels which mutually provide backing members for each other and each ofwhich is contained in a unit including an ink chamber With a wick forfeeding ink from such chamber to the periphery of the wheel.

An apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of this invention willnow be described in some detail by way of example. From this descriptionand the appended claims preferred features of the invention will becomeapparent.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows the apparatus in side elevations,

FIGURE 2 is a part vertical section part front elevation of theapparatus,

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the apparatus with the inking wheel units ofthe marking head assembly removed,

FIGURE 4 is a plan view, drawn on an enlarged scale, of the marking headassembly, and

FIGURE 5 is a part sectional part elevational view, drawn on a stilllarger scale, of a single inking wheel unit.

The apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a support pedestal 1having coaxially mounted therein one above the other a main drive wheel2 and a marking head assembly 3, suitably disposed ball races 4 enablingboth to rotate freely. The main drive wheel 2 is disposed horizontallyand is mounted on the upper end of a vertical hollow shaft 5 on theother end of which is fixed a first pulley 6. This first pulley 6 isdrivingly connected by means of a power drive belt 7 with a secondpulley 8 carried at the lower end of a second vertical but not hollow,shaft 9 rotatably mounted in a bracket 1 included in the pedestal 1 toone side of the main drive wheel 2. A third pulley 10 is mounted on theupper end of the second shaft 9 above the level of the main drive wheel2, and this third pulley 10 is drivingly connected, also by means of apower drive belt 11, to a fourth pulley 12 fixedly carried on the lowerend of a vertical hollow shaft 13 included in the marking head assembly3. The sizes of the several pulleys are chosen so that the marking headassembly will rotate at a required speed in relation to the main drivewheel.

Also mounted on the pulley bracket 1 is an arm 14 carrying a jockeywheel 15, the edge of which is resiliently pressed by a compressionspring 16 against the side of the main drive wheel 2.

Cable 60 to be marked is fed between the main drive wheel 2 and thejockey wheel and then wrapped twice 3,280,729 Patented Oct. 25, 1966round the main drive wheel. It is then taken over appropriately disposedwheels, for example the three wheels 17, 18 and 19 freely mounted on thesupport pedestal 1 so that the cable can be led centrally up the hollowshaft 5 on which the main drive wheel 2 is mounted. Finally, the cableis passed up through the hollow shaft 1 3 included in the marking headassembly and between the marking wheels 20 thereof as will be explainedin more detail hereinafter. In effect cable 60 is drawn through thewhole apparatus, the cable wrapped around the main drive wheel drivingthe latter which in turn imparts drive to the marking head assembly.

Preferably the main drive wheel 2 is one foot in circumference so thatthe rotation thereof can be used to operate a counted measuring thelength of cable passed through the apparatus.

The upper end of the hollow shaft 13 of the marking head assembly formsa spigot 13 on which the remainder of the assembly is mounted. Thelatter includes at its lower end an inverted cup-shaped portion 30 whichfits over and is secured to said spigot, and has secured in its upperend a nozzle 31 which is disposed in co-extending relationship with thespigot. At equally spaced points the cup-shaped portion is provided withoutwardly extending lugs 32 having therein horizontal bores 33 for thereception of pins 34 on which inking wheel units 35 are pivotallymounted. The inking wheel units 35 are mounted so that they pivotradically with respect to a cable 60 to be marked. In other words theinking wheels engage the cable at equally spaced points around it, andit will be appreciated that by this arrangement it is not necessary toprovide special backing rollers or like means against which cable ispressed by the inking wheels.

Each inking wheel unit 35 comprises a leg part 40, through the upperpart of which a pivot pin 34 as aforesaid passes, and a hollow inkcarrier body part 41 mounted on the top of the leg part. The lowerportion of the body part for-ms a chamber or repository 42 for ink intowhich dips a wick or carrier means 43 extending up out of such lowerportion and into the upper shroud portion of the body part. An inkingwheel 20 is rotatably mounted in the upper portion and projects from theinner face thereof on one side and engages the wick 43 on the otherside. The outer face 44 of the upper portion is appropriately curved sothat it, and therefore the wick 43 inside it, curves around theperimeter of the wheel 20. To prevent the wick being rucked or pusheddownwardly by rotation of the inking wheel, the wick is firmly held inposition by a spring or the like element 45. The wick is preferably madeof a very durable material such as, for example, a foamed syntheticplastics material.

The ink chamber and wick enclosing part may form a detachable memberwhich can be interchanged with a like member when it is desired tochange the colour of ink to be used, one member having been removed inFIGURE 4. Clips 46 are provided to hold such detachable member inposition.

With this arrangement an inking wheel 20 is in permanent contact with awick 43 soaked in ink so that the wheel commences marking immediately itis rotated. The provision of the wick obviates the need for ink to bethrown upon to the surface of the inking wheel. Such surface is ofcourse preferably knurled or otherwise roughened.

Inking wheels 20 may be set so that they engage a cable being marked atan angle thereto or so that they run longitudinally thereof. The firstarrangement results in a spiral mark or stripe, and the secondarrangement in a longitudinal mark or stripe. With the secondarrang'ement the marking head assembly would not rotate,

. 3 the drive from the pulley 10 to the pulley 12 being disconnected.

T enable the inclination of the inking wheel units to be varied to suitcables of different diameters, the leg part 40 of each unit has in thelower part an adjustment screw 50 the inner end of which engages anupwardly tapering collar 51 provided on the outside of the cupshapedportion 30 of the marking head assembly. The collar 51 is in actual factslidable up and down on the cup-shaped portion 30, being urged upwardlyby a compression spring 52 also provided around the cup-shaped portion.If the collar 51 is pushed down initially the inking wheel units 35 willrock outwardly allowing the cable to pass freely between the inkingwheels 20. When the collar 51 is released the inking wheel units 35 willautomatically adjust their position in accordance with the diameter ofthe cable.

It may be arranged that the ink chambers are replenished automaticallyfrom a reservoir which rotates with the marking head assembly.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for marking cables comprising a support having a markinghead assembly associated there with, said assembly including relativelyspaced means for feeding cable to be marked thereby, said assembly alsohaving at least three equally spaced unitary pivotally mounted inkingmeans, inking Wheels carried by said inking means for appropriatelystriping a cable passed in juxtaposition thereto, an ink carrier bodymeans associated with each of said pivotally mounted inking means, saidbody means including a repository for an inking fluid and shroud meansin proximity thereto, said shroud means including means adapted tosupply ink to a substantial area of each of said inking wheels and meansfor adjusting said unitary pivotally mounted inking means to accommodatecables of varying diameters as they pass between said inking wheels.

2. An apparatus for marking cables as claimed in claim 1, wherein themeans for adjusting said pivotally mountthe pivotally mounted inkingmeans.

3. An apparatus for marking cables as claimed in claim 1, wherein themeans for adjusting said pivotally mounted inking means comprisesspring-urged means slidably mounted in a plane normal to the pivot pointof said inking means.

4. An apparatus for marking cables as claimed in claim 3, wherein saidspring-urged means includes an upwardly tapering collar.

5. An apparatus for marking cables as claimed in claim 1, wherein theink carrier body means includes means associated therewith for applyingpressure to a predetermined area of the means for supplying ink to saidinking wheel to thereby retain said i-nk supply means in a substantiallyfixed position relative to the inking wheel.

6. An apparatus for marking cables as claimed in claim 1, wherein therelatively spaced means for feeding cable to the marking head assemblycomprises a main drive wheel disposed coaxially of the assembly andplural guide means mounted in planes normal thereto.

7. An apparatus for marking cables as claimed in claim 6, wherein themain drive wheel is drivingly-connected through pulley gear means to themarking head assembly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,537,884 1/1951Forsberg l0136 X 3,082,686 3/1963 Taylor 101-36 3,097,597 7/1963 Visser101364 3,101,667 8/1963 Siegel 10l364 FOREIGN PATENTS 673,813 11/1963Canada.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

W. McCARTHY, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,280,729 October 25, 1966 Douglas A. M. Wilcocks It is hereby certifiedthat error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction andthat the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 38, beginning with "2. An apparatus" strike out all toand including "inking means." in column 4, line 2 and insert instead 2.An apparatus for marking cables as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inkcarrier body means is detachable from the pivotally mounted inking meansSigned and sealed this 22nd day of October 1968. (SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents

1. AN APPARATUS FOR MARKING CABLES COMPRISING A SUPPORT HAVING A MARKINGHEAD ASSEMBLY ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, SAID ASSEMBLY INCLUDING RELATIVELYSPACED MEANS FOR FEEDING CABLE TO BE MARKED THEREBY, SAID ASSEMBLY ALSOHAVING AT LEAST THREE EQUALLY SPACED UNITARY PIVOTALLY MOUNTED INKINGMEANS, INKING WHEELS CARRIED BY SAID INKING MEANS FOR APPROPRIATELYSTRIPPING A CABLE PASSED IN JUXTAPOSITION THERETO, AN INK CARRIER BODYMEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID PIVOTALLY MOUNTED INKING MEANS, SAIDBODY MEANS INCLUDING A REPOSITORY FOR AN INKING FLUID AND SHROUD MEANSIN PROXIMITY THERETO, SAID SHROUD MEANS INCLUDING MEANS ADAPTED TOSUPPLY INK TO A SUBSTANTIAL AREA OF EACH OF SAID INKING WHEELS AND MEANSFOR ADJUSTING SAID UNITARY PIVOTALLY MOUNTED INKING MEANS TO ACCOMMODATECABLES OF VARYING DIAMETERS AS THEY PASS BETWEEN SAID INKING WHEELS.